Department for Transport

Railways: Racially Aggravated Offences

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to overcome the problem of race hate crimes on Britain’s railway networks in the light of the figures collected by the British Transport Police that show an increase in such crimes of 37 per cent in the past five years.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government considers the safety of passengers on the railway to be of paramount importance. The British Transport Police (BTP) is committed to providing policing services that meet the needs of all passengers and people who work on the railways. In line with the College of Policing’s National Hate Crime Strategy, BTP is working with partners to reduce hate crime and the harm that it causes, increasing the confidence of victims to report, and to identify and prosecute those who commit such crimes. BTP will also work with Train Operating Companies and Network Rail to improve awareness, vigilance and reporting on hate incidents, and to identify locations and patterns.

Air Passenger Duty

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Carbon Airports Commission calculated that air fares would need to rise in order to comply with the capped model, and what estimate they have made of the increase in air passenger duty that would be necessary to achieve that increase.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Airports Commission included an estimate of the impact of air fares in the carbon capped case in Chapter 4 of their interim report, copies of which are available in the Libraries of both Houses. There are no such estimates alongside the updated forecasts in their final report, nor is there consideration of the interaction between carbon prices and air passenger duty.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their strategy for rolling stock specifies the need for new diesel rolling stock to serve the rail lines not specified for electrification, and if so, how will they ensure that an adequate supply of new diesel rolling stock is manufactured and procured.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The success of the railways today, with additional services, greater passenger demand and significant Government investment, means that there will be a need for the future deployment of new or cascaded diesel units. We believe that the franchising programme delivers the best solution for bidders to specify rolling stock to meet the required outputs. A proportion of the available quality points from the franchise evaluation are dedicated to plans for rolling stock. This means that bidders have every incentive to look for solutions, including new, when providing trains for a franchise.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

EU Action: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Lord Boswell of Aynho: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each government department, from July to December 2015, on how many occasions the scrutiny reserve resolution in (1) the House of Lords, and (2) the House of Commons, was overridden, and in respect of how many documents an override occurred in (1) both Houses, or (2) either House.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Between July and December 2015, 434 Explanatory Memoranda on EU documents were submitted for scrutiny. There were 54 occasions when the Government supported decisions in the EU Council of Ministers before the scrutiny procedures had been completed by either one or both Scrutiny Committees. In each case the Government wrote to the Scrutiny Committees to explain the reasons why it was important for the Government to support the proposal before the scrutiny process could be completed or where the Committees were unable to provide a waiver for the Government to support the proposal whilst retaining the issue under scrutiny. As with previous six-monthly periods, the largest category of instrument were fast-moving EU restrictive measures where there were overrides on 40 such measures (74 per cent of the total number) of which 12 measures addressed the situation in Iran.The figures requested are set out below:Department(1). House of Lords Override(2). House of Commons override(1). No. of overrides in both Houses(2). Total no. of overridesForeign and Commonwealth Office42444145HM Treasury7777Culture, Media and Sport1111Food Standards Agency0101Totals50534954I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 29 July 2015 (HL1633) which presented the figures for overrides for the period January-June 2015. That answer contained two errors. In a letter dated 16 September 2015 to the Chairs of the two Scrutiny Committees, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), undertook to correct the errors when providing figures for the period July-December 2015. One Foreign and Commonwealth Office override on the Council decision extending the mandate of the EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina had been counted twice. This brings the overall total down from 90 to 89. The total in the House of Lords (54) is unchanged since the Committee cleared that proposal before adoption, but it does reduce the number declared for the House of Commons from 86 to 85. The answer also stated that the 39 measures (the largest category of the total) were the Common Foreign and Security Policy restrictive measures. A recalculation has shown the figure to be 38. The earlier answer also highlighted an unresolved issue of whether an override needed to be recorded against a Commission Communication on the Paris Protocol (‘A Blueprint for tackling Global Climate Change beyond 2020’) because discussion with the European Scrutiny Committee had at that stage not been concluded. It was subsequently agreed that agreement of the document did not need to be recorded as a scrutiny override.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following the arrest of three members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Hatim Qufayshah, Isa al-Ja’bari, and Muhammad Abu-Tayr; and whether they will take steps to discover what charges, if any, will be brought against them, and whether they will be released on bail.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not specifically raised the arrests of the three Palestinian Legislative Council Members with the Israeli authorities, we remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure.

Iraq: Detainees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many persons are now officially held in detention without charge in Iraq, and their affiliations, and what steps they are taking to collect accurate data about such detainees.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We do not have accurate figures on the numbers being held without charge or their affiliations. During my visit to Iraq in November, I met the Iraqi Minister of Justice, Haider Al Zamili, and raised a number of issues relating to the justice system, prison system and rehabilitation processes. Our Ambassador in Baghdad has raised detention without charge with the Minister of Justice on several occasions.Last year, the Iraqi Minister of Justice visited London to gain a better understanding of how the prison system operates in the UK. The Minister has committed to ensuring that the issue of detention without charge is addressed and is investigating how the process of charge and trial can be speeded up, as part of the Government of Iraq’s strategy to combat overcrowding in prisons. We will continue to encourage the Ministry to improve the prison system and offer assistance where we can.

Turkey: Press Freedom

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about attacks on the freedom of the media in the light of the number of journalists imprisoned, awaiting trial, and refused accreditation, and the number of TV channels that have been closed.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 30 December 2016 (HL4542). The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed the importance of Turkey’s reform agenda including media freedoms, with President Erdoğan when they met in Turkey on 14 January.

Turkey: Children

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about the number of children killed by military and police action in Turkey since June 2015.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As I said in my answer to Lord Patten’s question on 1 February (HL5288), the ongoing violence in south east Turkey is extremely concerning. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) continues to kill members of the Turkish police service and security forces in violent terrorist attacks. We believe Turkey has a legitimate right to defend itself against the PKK, whose attacks we condemn as we condemn all terrorism. Our thoughts are with the victims of these attacks, and the civilians, including children, who have been caught up in the violence.We have been clear, in public and private, that PKK violence must end and we support a return to the peace process, in the interests of Turkey and the region. We stand ready to help in any way we can. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and our Ambassador to Turkey have emphasised the need to respect human rights and the importance of avoiding civilian casualties to the Government of Turkey.

Israel: Detainees

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel regarding its use of administrative detention.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should only be used when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventative rather than a punitive measure. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and either charge or release detainees. We have raised these concerns with the Israeli authorities on many occasions, including at Foreign Minister, Attorney General and National Security Adviser levels. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised the matter of the use of administrative detention on 3 November 2015 with Israeli officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel regarding the deaths of two people killed during protests in Gaza in mid January.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are deeply concerned by the recent violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and deaths and injuries of both Palestinians and Israelis during this time. Since the start of the current violence, Ministers and officials have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority on the urgent need to de-escalate the tensions. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised concerns over the use of force by Israeli security forces with Israeli officials on 3 February.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to Israel’s reported decision to reject recommendation 13 of UNICEF's report Children in Israeli Military Detention: Observations and Recommendations.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and our Ambassador in Tel Aviv have spoken and written to the Israeli Justice Minister and Israeli Attorney General to urge Israel to take action on the report. While we welcome recent improvements made by the Israeli authorities, we remain concerned at the number of Palestinian minors held in Israeli detention. We will continue to raise these concerns with the Government of Israel to ensure that international standards are upheld in regards to the treatment of Palestinian children detained. We are also funding a further visit in February for the authors of the independent report.

Israel: Bedouin

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel with regard to the two Bedouin villages, Umm al-Ḥīrān and Atir, due to be destroyed by Israel in order to establish a new Jewish settlement and to plant a forest.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv are following this situation closely. We continue to encourage the Israeli authorities and Bedouin communities to work together to identify a satisfactory solution to the issue. We believe any solution must respect the equality of all Israel’s citizens, avoid forced relocations and be consistent with Israel’s commitments under international law.

Mohammed Abu Tair

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the arrest and detention of Mohammed Abu Tair.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not raised the specific case of the arrest and detention of Muhammad Abu Tair with the Israeli Authorities. However, we remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure.

Sierra Leone: Abortion

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Sierra Leone regarding the Safe Abortion Act 2015.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government was encouraged by the successful passage of the Safe Abortion Bill through the Sierra Leone Parliament last December. We are disappointed that interventions from stakeholders outside Parliament meant that the Bill was not signed into law and is undergoing further consultation.

Greece: Immigration

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of any proposals by the EU to prosecute charities and volunteers who give assistance to migrants arriving in Greece, and what assessment they have made of which articles of the EU treaties might provide authority for any such action.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government is not aware of any specific proposals by the EU to prosecute charities and volunteers who give assistance to migrants arriving in Greece. The European Commission is currently conducting public consultations as part of an on-going evaluation and impact assessment of the EU legislation on migrant smuggling, to gather views on what improvements could be made. We will consider any proposals if and when they are issued.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contingency plans are in place, or in preparation, to address all possible outcomes of a referendum on the UK's continued membership of the EU.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK, so we can get a better deal for our country and secure our future. We are confident that the right agreement can be reached. The civil service are working round the clock to support the renegotiation.

Iran: Official Visits

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following his recent visits to France and Italy, whether there are plans for President Rouhani of Iran to visit the UK.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are gradually expanding our bilateral engagement with Iran, and reopened our Embassy in Tehran in August last year. This was a major step towards normalising our relationship with Iran. There are no fixed dates yet for President Rouhani to visit the UK, but we hope that we will be able to welcome him in the future. We welcomed Foreign Minister Zarif’s visit to the UK from 4-5 February, the first bilateral visit of an Iranian Foreign Minister in over ten years.

Burundi: Armed Conflict

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current situation in Burundi; and whether they are concerned that the present levels of violence could lead to genocide.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The current situation in Burundi remains grave. The number of fatalities is high with at least 130 killed in December 2015. There is a daily rhythm of violence during the nights followed by quiet mornings. We were deeply concerned to hear of allegations that the police and the ruling party’s youth league are responsible for much of the violence, including sexual violence. The conflict remains essentially political in nature. Whilst there have been some limited signs of ‘ethnicisation’ of the crisis, these have not yet formed the kind of pattern that was seen in the run-up to previous genocides. The immediate risk is of a decline into multi-sided civil war. We continue to work closely with African and international partners to bring an end to the violence.

Sudan: Migration

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of political instability, human rights violations, poor governance and rule of law, and economic collapse, on migration flows from Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are concerned by migration flows from across the region, including Sudan. There are a range of political, economic and security factors that impact migration flows and we are undertaking further research on the drivers of migration from Sudan. We continue to raise our concerns about the human rights situation in Sudan and urge the government and opposition groups to work together to secure a political settlement that addresses Sudan’s internal conflicts.

Anguilla

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which minister or ministers have direct responsibility for the affairs of the British overseas territory of Anguilla.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government has a broad responsibility for the security and good governance of all British Overseas Territories, including Anguilla. The 2012 White Paper set out the principle that all UK Government departments have responsibility for supporting the Territories in their areas of expertise and competence. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes a coordinating role, led by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) and the Minister of State at the Department for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest West (Desmond Swayne).Anguilla has its own Constitution (1982) under which it has a democratically elected government which is responsible for most domestic matters. The Governor retains special responsibility for external affairs, defence, internal security and the appointment, discipline and removal of public servants.

Slovenia

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Slovenia about the case of Bostjan Bozic and the issues it raises under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of the case of Slovenian photo journalist Jani Bozic who was given a five month suspended prison sentence by a Slovenian court in March 2015 for invasion of privacy of then Slovenian Prime Minister Bratusek. In all cases, we would expect the Slovenian government to meet its international obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Foreign Relations

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 2 February about private representations to Saudi Arabia concerning the number of executions (HL Deb, col 1580), and the Written Answer on 1 February (HL5108) regarding private representations made to the Palestinian Minister of Health concerning incitement to violence, and in the light of their public statements condemning Israeli settlement policy, what criteria they use to determine whether criticisms of foreign governments should be made in public or in private.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government makes decisions about how to deal with different situations on the basis of how it believes it can best achieve its objectives. It therefore uses different approaches in different circumstances.

Niranjan Rasalingam

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Burma regarding the alleged torture, denial of consular access, and detention without trial of Rasalingam Niranjan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our Embassy in Rangoon has provided consular assistance to Mr Rasalingam Niranjan since 1 December 2014 when it was established that Mr Niranjan had been detained. That same month we raised the late notification of Mr Niranjan’s arrest in a Note Verbale and reminded the then Burmese government of their obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. In May 2015 our Ambassador re-stated our interest in the case, and raised concerns about Mr Niranjan’s health and the progress of his legal cases. A further Note Verbale was sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 2016 re-stating our interest in the case and concern about its progress.

EU Law

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what fines have been levied on the UK for non-compliance with EU directives from 2010 to date.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: From 2010 to date no fines have been levied on the UK for non-compliance with EU directives.

Middle East: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many refugees from Syria and Iraq have been accepted by Saudi Arabia and each of the Gulf States; and whether other migrants from Syria and Iraq have also been absorbed into those two countries.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK actively engages with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia, on humanitarian and development assistance, and the Gulf States continue to contribute generously to humanitarian support for the Syria crisis. The Gulf States are not signatories to the UN Refugee Convention of 1951, and there is no legal refugee status in these countries. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are living in Gulf States as migrant workers or on visitors' visas.

Horn of Africa: EU Immigration

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what diplomatic, programme and financial support they plan to offer to the EU Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: At the Valletta Summit on Migration (11-12 November 2015), the UK helped secure an ambitious action plan to address the root causes of migration from Africa. The plan covers five key areas: addressing the root causes of migration; cooperation on legal migration; reinforced protection of displaced persons; migrant smuggling and people trafficking; and returns and readmission.In late November 2015, the UK assumed the chair of the EU-AU Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative (the “Khartoum Process”) and hosted its second Steering Committee in London. The meeting focused on delivering the Valletta Summit Action Plan and building on previous work under the Process. The European Commission agreed to set up a 40million Euro facility under the Valletta Trust Fund – the Better Managed Migration project - which will be spent on priority projects in the region. The UK is a member of the Better Managed Migration steering committee which will guide the implementation, monitor progress and ensure that the required technical expertise is mobilised in a timely manner. Bilaterally the UK is planning to offer support in a wide range of areas including vocational training, addressing human smuggling and trafficking and skills training for unaccompanied youths.Across the region, the UK is the second largest bilateral donor providing humanitarian support for displaced populations. Our work includes programmes on livelihoods and sustainable incomes for those in camps and better integration with host communities. Nearly 60 per cent of humanitarian support in Africa (£302 million) and nearly 20 per cent of economic development support in Africa (£102 million) is being spent in the region.

UN Security Council

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of calls by The Elders and other groups for changes in the composition and working of the UN Security Council in order to make it more democratic and representative.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK welcomes all contributions to the important debate on how to improve the working of the UN Security Council. We regularly re-examine our UN policies and take into consideration the views and thoughts of interested parties, including The Elders. We have long advocated expansion of the UN Security Council in order to reflect the growth in UN membership and the need for the Council to better represent the modern world. To achieve this we are in favour of new permanent seats for Japan, Germany, India and Brazil, along with permanent African representation. But we are also clear that Council reform should not make it less effective. We are also fully behind efforts to improve the workings of the Council so that it can better fulfil its function of maintaining international peace and security. It is for this reason that the UK was one of the initial signatories of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group’s Code of Conduct. This makes explicit the UK’s intention never to vote against credible Security Council action to end or prevent the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. It is also why we are at the forefront of efforts to improve the Council’s working methods, as demonstrated during our Presidency of the Council in November 2015 where we put the emphasis on transparency, action, and interactivity between states.

Syria: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bates on 8 February (HL Deb, col 1980), what steps they are taking to persuade the government of Turkey to open the border at Oncupinar to enable Syrian refugees fleeing Russian aerial bombardment of the Aleppo Province to reach safety; what assessment they have made of how many refugees are at that border; and how many of those are estimated to be women and children.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We condemn the recent actions of the Syrian regime, driving civilians from their homes in and around Aleppo, and question the role of Russia in supporting this offensive. We are appalled by the humanitarian impact of these developments and the ongoing war in Syria. We assess that there are over 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of this action. On 8 February 2016, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released an initial assessment which estimated 80 per cent of IDPs to be women and children. We welcome Turkey’s generosity in hosting over 2.5m Syrian refugees in Turkey, a commitment reaffirmed by Prime Minister Davutoğlu at the 4 February London Syria Conference. The Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have made clear that Turkey will continue to allow refugees to enter Turkey. The UK continues to work closely with the Turkish government, including through implementation of the EU-Turkey Action Plan, to ensure refugees continue to receive support and protection.

Syria: War Crimes

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is a central point in the UK, or elsewhere, for recording war crimes in Syria, in particular the starvation of civilians and the deaths under attack of medical personnel.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: War crimes and other atrocities in Syria are dealt with at the international level. The Government supports the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which is mandated by the Human Rights Council to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law in Syria with a view of ensuring perpetrators are held to account. We also support other bodies that are collecting evidence in the region such as UN Joint Investigative Mechanism on Chemical Weapons in Syria. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has called for a halt to the indiscriminate use of weapons on medical and educational facilities, calling on parties to ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. The UK supported UN Security Council resolution 2254, which was unanimously adopted in December calling for an end to indiscriminate attacks and unrestricted humanitarian access.

Turkey: Kurds

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Final Resolution of the 12th International Conference on the European Union, Turkey, the Middle East and the Kurds, held at the European Parliament in January.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we do not agree with all points made in the Final Resolution of the 12th International Conference on the EU, Turkey, the Middle East and the Kurds, held at the European Parliament in January, we too call for the Kurdistan Workers' Party to cease its attacks and share the participants’ desire to see a return to the peace process.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

UK Membership of EU

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to engage with leaders of businesses of all sizes in every sector to ensure that they have information about the pros and cons of the UK remaining a full member of the EU.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 08 February 2016.The correct answer should have been:

No such assessment has been made.The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK - so we get a better deal for our country and secure our future. We are confident that the right agreement can be reached.Under Sections 6 and 7 of the European Union Referendum Act 2015, the Government has a duty to publish information on what has been agreed by Member States following negotiations on the UK’s request for reforms; the Government’s opinion on what has been agreed; the UK’s rights and obligations as a member of the EU; and examples of non-EU countries that have other arrangements with the EU. As stipulated in the Act, this information will be published before the beginning of the final 10 week period ending with the date of the referendum.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: No such assessment has been made.The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK - so we get a better deal for our country and secure our future. We are confident that the right agreement can be reached.Under Sections 6 and 7 of the European Union Referendum Act 2015, the Government has a duty to publish information on what has been agreed by Member States following negotiations on the UK’s request for reforms; the Government’s opinion on what has been agreed; the UK’s rights and obligations as a member of the EU; and examples of non-EU countries that have other arrangements with the EU. As stipulated in the Act, this information will be published before the beginning of the final 10 week period ending with the date of the referendum.

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

Lord Donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the electricity cost per tonne of steel produced in (1) the UK, (2) Germany, and (3) France, and what assessment they have made of the reasons for any differential cost in the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government assessed, and published a report about, the impact of energy and climate change policies on industry and how this compares to other countries. That report was published on 11 July 2012. Based on this data the projected cost per MWh of energy and climate change polices for industry for 2015 (expressed in 2010 prices) was £18.50 in the UK, £5.80 for France, and £13.10 for Germany. However the Government has since taken action to mitigate most of the indirect costs arising from energy and climate change policies for industry, specifically by compensating for the indirect costs of carbon taxes and now by implementing relief from the costs of renewables policies passed through in bills. These measures will save the steel industry around £100m over the financial year – roughly 30% of their electricity bills.

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

Lord Donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extra electricity cost to steel producers related to climate change policies in financial terms per tonne, and as a percentage, (1) in the UK, (2) in Germany, and (3) in France.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government assessed, and published a report about, the impact of energy and climate change policies on industry and how this compares to other countries. That report was published on 11 July 2012. Based on this data the projected cost per MWh of energy and climate change polices for industry for 2015 (expressed in 2010 prices) was £18.50 in the UK, £5.80 for France, and £13.10 for Germany. However the Government has since taken action to mitigate most of the indirect costs arising from energy and climate change policies for industry, specifically by compensating for the indirect costs of carbon taxes and now by implementing relief from the costs of renewables policies passed through in bills. These measures will save the steel industry around £100m over the financial year – roughly 30% of their electricity bills.

Students: Health

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the health status of low-income university students in comparison to other university students.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: We have made no specific assessment of that issue. However, whilst higher education is an adult environment, it is a long-established principle that universities have a duty of care to their students.Where health issues are related to a disability, universities have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled students and to monitor their compliance with their Equality Act duties. The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 require institutions to publish information as to their compliance with the general public sector equality duty. There is a range of guidance and support available to institutions on supporting students with mental health conditions from a range of sector and medical bodies including Universities UK (UUK), the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) and the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education (AMOSSHE).

Apprentices: Taxation

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the administration of the Apprenticeships Levy will function in order to fund work-based learning and vocational training in (1) Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) Northern Ireland.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: We are continuing discussions with the devolved administrations about a fair allocation of funding from the proceeds of the Apprenticeship Levy.Education and skills policy, including apprenticeships, is a devolved matter.It is for the devolved administrations of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to determine how they manage and fund apprenticeships.

*No heading*

Baroness Morgan of Ely: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the legal advice sought from First Treasury Counsel in relation to the impact of the Trade Union Bill on the devolved administrations of the UK, in particular in relation to Wales; and whether they will place a copy of that advice in the Library of the House.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As noble Lords would expect, the Government has carefully considered a range of legal issues in relation to the Trade Union Bill. The Government does not disclose the content or the source of its legal advice. It is essential to good government that ministers of the day are able to seek and receive legal advice on a confidential basis. To do otherwise might inhibit governments from seeking legal advice in the future.

Department for International Development

Zika Virus

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to help to ensure that women have access to safe and legal abortion services throughout Latin America and the Caribbean in the light of the spread of the Zika virus and its potential link to birth defects.

Baroness Verma: As the main public health threat of Zika is to the unborn babies of infected pregnant women in affected countries it is important that responses to Zika include vector and infection control with a focus on pregnant women or women of child-bearing age and strengthened reproductive and sexual health services (for women who do not want to get pregnant). The importance of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for all women is brought home by the emergence of Zika. There may be increased demand for voluntary rights based family planning from women in affected countries seeking to avoid pregnancy, and there is a risk of a rise in unsafe abortion in some countries. DFID has a track record of promoting rights based family planning and in highlighting the contribution safe abortion makes to saving women’s lives. We are in close contact with DFID-funded partners, including in the UN system and civil society, active in affected regions although DFID has not been asked to provide specific sexual and reproductive health and rights assistance to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean affected by the Zika virus.New guidelines covering maternal surveillance and neonatal health are being rolled out across the region, developed by the Latin American Centre for Perinatology, Women and Reproductive Health.

Burundi: Overseas Aid

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider re-opening the Department for International Development’s Office in Burundi.

Baroness Verma: In 2012, as part of its global review of bilateral programmes, DFID decided to focus its work in Burundi on the country’s integration into the East African Community (EAC) as the single most important factor for promoting economic growth. DFID has continued to provide support to Burundi, mainly through Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA), a specialist agency which promotes trade growth in East Africa. DFID has contributed £16.5 million to TMEA for Burundi in the period 2010-2016. Burundi also receives contributions through multilateral organisations and funds. For example, through the Global Poverty Action Fund, we have also provided £500,000 for the provision of sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation for 139,000 people in Bujumbura Rural Province. DFID also provides central funding to UK NGOs, some of which work with local partners in Burundi.Given the situation in Burundi, we are now looking to provide support in the form of secondments to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for needs assessment, information management, coordination and advocacy. Over 238,000 Burundians have become refugees since April 2015. The majority of those who have fled Burundi are concentrated in Tanzania and Rwanda, for which DFID has provided £18.15 million since April 2015.

Department for Education

Schools: Admissions

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and British Humanist Association, An Unholy Mess, and in particular that report’s recommendations that guidance be produced for schools to help them to ensure that they comply fully with the School Admissions Code.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken better to enforce compliance with the Schools Admissions Code among religiously selective schools, in the light of the findings of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and British Humanist Association, An Unholy Mess.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report An Unholy Mess, published by the Fair Admissions Campaign last year, that a significant number of religiously selective schools are employing religious selection criteria that was not permitted by their relevant religious authority, contrary to the School Admissions Code.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the objection submitted to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator that a state-funded school sought to prioritise the admission of children on the basis of whether or not their parents have sex during the period of a mother's menstruation.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a number of religiously selective schools have been breaking the Equality Act 2010 by directly discriminating on the basis of race or gender.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are asking parents for information they do not need, and are not allowed to ask for, such as whether they are UK nationals or speak English as an additional language.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are not allowing all applicants to be admitted, even when a school is undersubscribed, and what steps they are taking to ensure that all schools comply with the School Admissions Code in this regard.

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are not making clear in their admission arrangements the process by which children with statements of special educational needs are admitted; and what steps they are taking to ensure that all schools have clear guidance regarding that.

Lord Nash: Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant proportion of religiously selective schools are not properly publishing their admission arrangements, thereby depriving parents of the information they need to navigate the admissions process.

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a majority of religiously selective schools may not be properly prioritising looked-after, and previously looked-after, children in their admission arrangements, and what steps they are taking to address this.

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are still interviewing prospective pupils, despite this being banned in 2006.

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are requiring practical or financial support for associated organisations such as churches and synagogues from parents, and what steps they are taking to address this.

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are asking parents for information they do not need, and are not allowed to ask for, such as the predicted grades of their children, and how this could be prevented in future.

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are breaking the School Admissions Code by taking into account the past behaviour, attendance, attitude, or achievement, of children.

Lord Nash: Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.

Academies

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any future plans to make all secondary schools academies.

Lord Nash: The government’s ambition is for every school to have the opportunity to become an academy. Over 60 per cent of secondary schools have already become academies and we want to encourage more schools to do this. The Education and Adoption Bill, currently going through Parliament, will enable us to intervene more quickly to turn underperforming schools into academies.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which 10 local authorities have (1) the most, and (2) the least, pupil funding.

Lord Nash: Local authorities (LAs) are funded for their schools through the dedicated schools grant (DSG). This currently comprises three blocks, namely schools, early years and high needs. Each LA has its own school block unit of funding (SBUF), and the 10 highest and lowest 10 SBUFs for financial year 2016 to 2017 are shown below: 10 highest funded LAs2016-2017 SBUF10 lowest funded LAs2016-2017 SBUFCity of London8,587Leicestershire4,238Tower Hamlets6,982Dorset4,232Hackney6,858Stockport4,229Lambeth6,486Trafford4,227Southwark6,463South Gloucestershire4,214Hammersmith and Fulham6,351Cheshire East4,206Camden6,233York4,202Islington6,221West Sussex4,198Newham6,127Poole4,187Westminster6,020Wokingham4,167

Academies: Admissions

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are monitoring academies and free schools that seek to change their nominal catchment areas in order to ensure that local parents have the final say on such proposals.

Lord Nash: School admission arrangements are set and applied locally. Each school has an admission authority to set its admission arrangements. For academies and free schools, it is the academy trust. Where changes are proposed to admission arrangements, the admission authority must first publicly consult on those arrangements, including with local parents. If no changes are made to admission arrangements, they must be consulted on at least once every seven years to ensure admissions arrangements continue to meet local needs. However, we will shortly be consulting on requiring admission authorities to consult on their admission arrangements at least once every four years.There is no requirement within the School Admissions Code (‘the Code’) for any school to adopt a catchment area. Where they do, the Code makes it clear that the catchment must be fair and not discriminate against any social or ethnic group, or those with disabilities.If parents are concerned about changes to a school’s catchment area they can object to the Schools Adjudicator. The Adjudicator can require any state-funded school to amend its admission policy, if it breaches the Code.

Health Education: Sex

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many academies and free schools have a clause in their funding agreement requiring the teaching of sex and relationship education.

Lord Nash: All academies and free schools are required through their funding agreement to teach a broad and balanced curriculum and to have regard to the statutory guidance issued under the Education Act 1996, as if the academy were a maintained school. The Secretary of State’s statutory guidance (2000) makes clear that sex and relationship education is essential for children’s development and preparation for responsible adult life – and that it should be taught appropriately to children's age and maturity.

Ministry of Defence

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conclusions they have drawn from the recent study of the UK's future rotary wing requirements carried out by the Joint Helicopter Command.

Earl Howe: The 2015 Air Manoeuvre Future Capability Study reviewed and confirmed a number of major assumptions made about Battlefield Helicopter capabilities in the Rotary Wing Strategy of 2009. These were further tested through the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 and in the Defence Rotary Wing Capability Study of 2011. These included:Attack Helicopter capability will be sustained through the Apache Capability Sustainment Programme until at least 2040.Rotary Wing Heavy Lift capability will be sustained through a Chinook Capability Sustainment Programme until at least 2040.An opportunity exists to review the means by which medium lift capabilities are delivered from the mid-2030s, following the out of service dates for Puma Mk 2 and Merlin Mk 3/4. This will be examined initially through a capability investigation that will also consider the broader utility of unmanned aviation.

Reserve Forces: Deployment

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the speed at which reservists will be able to fill front-line combat roles.

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of reservists who are able to serve at short notice in the event of a major conflict.

Earl Howe: Volunteer Reservists (VR) on the trained strength (26,560 as at 1 December 2015) are required to respond to a mobilisation call-out at 28 days' notice and may then carry out additional training for an operation. The length of time required for this training will depend on the complexity of the operation, which may require familiarisation training on equipment which they will be required to operate, and procedural training to prepare for the environment they will encounter. Further preparations may be required, such as vaccinations, which depend on the environment of the operation and which will affect the length of time between mobilisation and deployment. For a medium scale intervention operation we would expect the period between mobilisation and deployment for VR to be around 180 days. However, the use of intelligent mobilisation means that willing and available VR are routinely mobilised in around 90 days for specific tasks and this can be significantly shortened in some circumstances. No estimate has been made of the number of Reservists who would be able to serve at short notice in the event of a major conflict.

Department for Work and Pensions

EU Globalisation Fund

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what applications for support have been submitted to the EU Globalisation Adjustment Fund since its inception; whether they intend to submit an application for support in order to support workers made redundant from the steel industry in the last year; and if not, why not.

Lord Freud: The European Globalisation Fund (EGF) provides a financial contribution for active labour market measures, aimed at reintegrating those made or at risk of being made redundant in the labour market.   Member States are responsible in the first instance for tackling trade adjustment redundancies - the fund is therefore designed to add to national, regional and local assistance.   The UK already offers a broad range of personalised support to workers made redundant through its Rapid Response Service and Jobcentre Plus, which could not be duplicated or substituted by EGF.   The Rapid Response Service and the Jobcentre Plus Core Offer are effective reintegration tools which represent good value for money and are our primary and most helpful means of response to large redundancies.   For this reason, the UK Government has never applied to the EGF.   In addition to the aforementioned support, in the case of the steel industry, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has also announced packages of support worth up to £80 million for SSI in Redcar and up to £9 million for TATA Steel in Scunthorpe.   Only if more support is necessary other suitable sources of support will be considered.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 30 December 2015 (HL4654), what (1) in-work, and (2) out-of-work, benefits were paid to recent EU migrants in households supported by the benefits system as at March 2013.

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the duration of (1) in-work, and (2) out-of-work, benefits paid to all recent EU migrants in households supported by the benefits system as at March 2013.

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the average (1) in-work, and (2) out-of-work, benefits paid to all recent EU migrants supported by the benefits system as at March 2013.

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of all (1) in-work, and (2) out-of-work, benefits paid in the UK as at March 2013 was received by recent EU migrants.

Lord Freud: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for Employment (Ms. Esther McVey) in the House of Commons on 20 November 2014 to Question number 211618 as below:While the Government checks the immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud, traditionally that information has not been collected as part of the payment administrative systems.   However, the Government is looking at ways to reform the current administrative system under Universal Credit so that it will systematically record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim.   The Government has made a radical series of changes over the last year to restrict the access by non-UK citizens from the European Economic Area to UK benefits and tax credits. This is in order to protect the UK’s benefit system and discourage people who have no established connection with the UK from moving here, unless they have a job or a genuine prospect of work, or have savings to support themselves until they do.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Thames Tideway Tunnel

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what (1) proportion, and (2) volume, of excavated spoil from each of the Thames Tideway Tunnel construction sites will be transported from them by river.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Development Consent Order for the Thames Tideway Tunnel (TTT) requires 100% of the specified materials to be transported by river for construction sites on the Thames foreshore, unless an approved derogation is in place. Derogations could include periods when it is not possible to use river transport due to factors such as river closures, incidents, weather and supply chain failures, and for material not suitable for river transport such as contaminated material that needs specialist disposal or material that is too wet for safe transit without specialist vessels.The commitment to transportation by river from the construction sites was secured through the River Transport Strategy, which was included in Thames Water’s application for Development Consent for the Tunnel, although it only applies to specific material listed in the Strategy (including excavated material from the main tunnel at main tunnel drive sites and material excavated from the shafts at foreshore sites).Bazalgette Tunnel Limited (operating as Tideway), the company appointed to design, finance, build and operate the TTT, has estimated the proportion and volume of excavated spoil that will be transported by river from each of the TTT construction foreshore sites (see Table 1 below). The percentages shown for each site demonstrate the anticipated effect of derogations on the amounts of excavated spoil they will be able to transport by river.However, Tideway and appointed mains works contractors have made commitments to maximise their use of river transport and are therefore working on opportunities to increase the extent of river transport further in liaison with the Local Authorities, Greater London Authority, Port of London Authority and Transport for London.Table 1 - Excavated specified material percentage and volume by river transport SITE% of all excavated specified material transported by riverVolume to be transported by river (m3)Putney Bridge Foreshore90%14,000Carnwath Road Riverside90%353,400Cremorne Wharf Depot90%9,000Chelsea Embankment90%44,400Kirtling Street81%693,600 *Heathwall Pumping Station82%16,300**Albert Embankment90%56,300Victoria Embankment90%27,900Blackfriars Bridge90%72,100Chambers Wharf90%416,100King Edward Memorial Park90%57,500 *excludes shaft and excavated material from ‘other' minor structures, due to restricted river frontage **excludes 'excavated material from ‘other' minor structures', due to site constraints

Thames Tideway Tunnel

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what economic benefits are attributed in the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs document of October 2015 Creating a River Thames fit for our future: An updated strategic and economic case for the Thames Tideway Tunnel to (1) the Lee Tunnel, and (2) the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Lee Tunnel and the Thames Tideway Tunnel (TTT) are key aspects of a wider improvement scheme for the Thames Tideway designed to meet the environmental standards set for the Tideway and achieve the environmental requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.The updated assessment of October 2015 provided a cost-benefit analysis focused on the TTT in isolation, to inform Government’s decision on whether to proceed with that project as the last major phase of the wider Tideway environmental improvement works. Research set out in this assessment showed that the Lee Tunnel, while having significant local benefit, would not in itself deliver the wider environmental outcomes sought from the overall Tideway improvement scheme. The 2015 assessment therefore assumed no benefits are secured by the Lee Tunnel on its own. It demonstrated the benefits of the TTT, based on an assessment of people’s willingness to pay, to be in the region of £7.4 billion to £12.7 billion (at 2014 prices).Defra carried out two sensitivity tests on this assumption (published alongside the main results in the cost-benefit annex to the Strategic and Economic case), to ensure the robustness of that decision. One test factored in the cost of the Lee Tunnel to the cost-benefit analysis for the TTT, and the second assumed that the Lee Tunnel reduced the benefit attributed to the TTT by 40%. In neither test did the economic case for the TTT become unfavourable.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Court of Auditors' report stating that EU farm projects to improve the environmental sustainability of EU farms are unreasonably costly; and what action they are taking to hold to account those who administer the Common Agricultural Policy.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Of the 28 projects reviewed in the four Member States by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), the only ones viewed as cost effective overall were in England. The ECA found that payment rates in England took account of the wider economic benefits to the farmer which might result from making these investments. They also commented favourably about the high level of integration between these capital payments and multiannual land management activities which leads to better outcomes.However, some projects reviewed in England were found not to be cost effective. We accept that in some cases the standard payment rates to farmers to help improve environmental sustainability may have been too high. We have reviewed our payment rates for the new Countryside Stewardship scheme. These have been independently verified. We will review standard payment rates again in 2017 to ensure that these types of payments are cost effective overall.

Squirrels: Pest Control

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people in England have been killed or injured during grey squirrel control with guns during the last decade.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: This information is not held centrally. I can confirm that the Forestry Commission in England does not have any record of anyone being killed or injured during grey squirrel control with guns on the Public Forest Estate in the last decade. However, it does not hold any record of incidents elsewhere.

Squirrels: Pest Control

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 1 February (HL5225) about grey squirrel control, what is their definition of "free shooting".

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government does not have a standard definition for the free-shooting of grey squirrels. However, Forestry Commission England considers free-shooting of grey squirrels to be where they are shot in any circumstances other than after having been live trapped, lured into or located in a pre-prepared area with, for example, a ground feeding station and high seat to facilitate shooting with a safe backstop.

Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether retailer records provided to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be made available on the department's website, in the light of the guidance Carrier bag charges: retailers' responsibility that states such information will be made public.

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the records of retailers concerning carrier bag charges will be made public after the first reporting period, 5 October 2015 to 6 April 2016, in the light of the fact that members of the public can obtain copies of retailer carrier bag records within 28 days.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Defra is required to publish every retailer record received on an annual basis. All records supplied by retailers will be published on the GOV.UK website by 31 July each year.

Game: Lead

Lord Krebs: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the Lead Advisory Group,reported by the Chairman in his letter of 3 June 2015 to the Secretary of State, that 10,000 children are growing up in households where "they could regularly be eating sufficient game shot with lead ammunition to cause them neurodevelopmental harm and other health impairments".

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Food Standards Agency has identified that lead shot game is unlikely to be a significant source of exposure for the majority of consumers but recognises that it may be a significant additional contribution for frequent consumers and vulnerable groups. The FSA has advised that those consuming high levels of such game should reduce their intake, especially vulnerable consumers such as children and pregnant women. The FSA is considering what further action is required to raise awareness of their advice, particularly with vulnerable groups such as parents and carers of young children.

Home Office

Human Trafficking: Children

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what data they collect, and from whom, about the number of children trafficked, and attempted to be trafficked, on Eurostar services.

Lord Bates: The UK Government takes child trafficking extremely seriously. All Border Force officers at the Eurostar ports in the UK France and Belgium have received training in keeping children safe and all operational processes involving children comply with requirements as set out in the Children and Young Persons Act. Border Force and Eurostar have daily contact on operational matters. When passengers are identified by Border Force officers as potential victims of trafficking, immediate action is taken to safeguard the individual by following Home Office guidance on the treatment of the victims of trafficking. Border Force collects data on these cases in order to notify the Human Trafficking Centre. Contact is also made with Camden Social Services Safeguarding Team as soon as possible in order to establish safe care of the child. Eurostar has its own policy on unaccompanied children travelling on its services which can be found on the internet at: http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/travel-planning/accessibility#unaccompanied_childrenBorder Force has not provided training to French border officials on UK child trafficking patterns. All cases of suspected trafficking detected by the French border officials at St Pancras are handed to the BTP to action. In France and Belgium any concerns Border Force officers have about vulnerable children attempting to travel to the UK would be referred to the French and Belgian frontier control authorities. The Home Office has not had any discussions with Patina Rail about a proposed new routing between St Pancras and Ashford.



Eurostar Policy - Unaccompanied Minors 
(PDF Document, 898.97 KB)

Refugees: Children

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of child refugees to the UK from Syria and elsewhere who are from Muslim families, and whether the families of such refugees will be able to follow them in due course.

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not record the religion of those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection for statistical purposes.There is no provision in the Immigration Rules for children granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK to sponsor family members to join them. The policy is designed to avoid creating incentives for children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave their country and risk hazardous journeys to the UK, which would play right into the hands of people smugglers and traffickers.Where a family reunion application fails under the Immigration Rules, there is provision in the policy to consider whether there are exceptional circumstances or compassionate reasons to justify granting a visa outside the Rules in individual cases.

HM Treasury

Multinational Companies: Taxation

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the criticism of the European Commission by Robert Stack, the US Treasury Official in charge of international tax policy, for disproportionately targeting US companies; and under what articles of the EU treaties the EU can tax foreign enterprises.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: While corporate taxation is a matter for Member States, under the EU Treaties the European Commission has competence to conduct State aid investigations in order to prevent unlawful distortion of competition and to safeguard the internal market. Investigations into tax rulings issued by EU Member States to multi-national companies were opened by the Commission in 2013. While the Commission has found illegal aid has been provided by some Members States (not including the UK) relating to some US companies, rulings under investigation also relate to a number of non-US undertakings.

Cabinet Office

Regional Planning and Development: North of England

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative, what are their policies for the decentralisation of civil servants.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Civil Service has a significant presence across the UK and we are considering how new government hubs, in strategic locations across the country, will help to make sure that we have an efficient and effective Civil Service at the same time as we consolidate the government estate.Any proposed relocation is done based on the operational needs of Departments.

Immigration

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the net migration to the UK in the year to March 2013.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



Referral Letter
(PDF Document, 115.64 KB)

Immigration

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total net immigration into the UK between 1997 and 2015.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



Referral Letter
(PDF Document, 203.82 KB)

Cancer

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 26 January (HL5030), what historic data they hold on cancer registrations and deaths in England over the past 15 years owing to: (1) C50, malignant neoplasm of breast, (2) C61, malignant neoplasm of prostate, (3) C33-C34, malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung, (4) C18-C20, malignant neoplasm of colon and rectum, (5) C43, malignant melanoma of skin, (6) C82-C85, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, (7) C67, malignant neoplasm of bladder, (8) C64, malignant neoplasm of kidney, except renal pelvis, (9) C91-C95, leukaemia, (10) C25, malignant neoplasm of pancreas, (11) C54-C55, malignant neoplasm of corpus uteri and uterus, part unspecified, (12) C15, malignant neoplasm of oesophagus, (13) C00-C14, malignant neoplasm of lip, oral cavity and pharynx, (14) C56-C57, malignant neoplasm of ovary and other unspecified female genital organs, (15) C16, malignant neoplasm of stomach, (16) all other neoplasms, (17) tumours listed in (1) to (5) in total, and (18) tumours listed in (6) to (15) in total.

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the one-year survival rate for each of the last 15 years with regard to: (1) C50, malignant neoplasm of breast, (2) C61, malignant neoplasm of prostate, (3) C33-C34, malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung, (4) C18-C20, malignant neoplasm of colon and rectum, (5) C43, malignant melanoma of skin, (6) C82-C85, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, (7) C67, malignant neoplasm of bladder, (8) C64, malignant neoplasm of kidney, except renal pelvis, (9) C91-C95, leukaemia, (10) C25, malignant neoplasm of pancreas, (11) C54-C55, malignant neoplasm of corpus uteri and uterus, part unspecified, (12) C15, malignant neoplasm of oesophagus, (13) C00-C14, malignant neoplasm of lip, oral cavity and pharynx, (14) C56-C57, malignant neoplasm of ovary and other unspecified female genital organs, (15) C16, malignant neoplasm of stomach, (16) all other neoplasms; and what were the weighted average one-year survival rates for those tumours listed in (1) to (5), and those tumours listed in (6) to (15).

Lord Bridges of Headley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



Referral Letter
(PDF Document, 122.95 KB)




Statistics Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 106.7 KB)

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Gaming Machines: Money Laundering

Lord Collins of Highbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they made in their recent Evaluation of Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 of the evidence from the Gambling Commission that 633 cases of suspected money laundering were reported last year in the use of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals; and what conclusions they reached.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Government takes the issue of money laundering in gambling very seriously, including these cases. The Gambling Commission already requires operators to take measures to prevent money laundering through its Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice - and it is currently consulting on proposed regulatory changes to strengthen the fight against crime linked to gambling. In additon, the Treasury is planning to consult on the EU’s forth Directive on Money Laundering, which brings all gambling services within scope of the money laundering requirements.

Football Pools

Lord Fearn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many community projects the football pools have supported or promoted in the years (1) 2004, (2) 2005, and (3) 2015.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: According to the website of Sportech PLC, which owns the Football Pools, as of 2015, "the pools" have contributed £1.3 billion, at today's value, to football, other sports, the arts and charitable initiatives in the UK, in recent decades. More information is available at http://www.sportechplc.com/our-business/football-pools/football-pools-donations-map.

National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had any discussions with relevant bodies about National Museums Liverpool coming under the control of the combined authorities, and what assessment they have made, if any, of such a move.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As part of the Liverpool City Region Devolution Agreement, the Department is engaging with Liverpool City Combined Authority and National Museums Liverpool to explore options around a sustainable and viable business model for National Museums Liverpool.

VisitBritain

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the respective responsibilities of the home nations' tourism organisations following restructuring of VisitBritain, in particular regarding the attraction of overseas visitors to each of the four nations.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Tourism is a devolved matter, so it is for each of the home nations to decide on the structure and activities of their national tourist boards. The Government has decided that the British Tourist Authority should continue to trade as VisitBritain and VisitEngland - with VisitBritain focussed on the promotion of Britain overseas, and VisitEngland focussed on the development of English tourism product. VisitEngland will do this through a new £40m Discover England fund. Funding for British tourism will now be ring-fenced and the Government is committed to setting challenging targets for VisitBritain to encourage more visitors to explore beyond London. We are actively engaging with the Scottish and Welsh Governments on these targets and operating principles.